VIDEO: How could anyone hurt these animals?

Horrific attack on animals at Nimbin:
Owner of Djanbung Gardens, Robyn Francis, has been left shaken by the horrific attack that left seven chickens dead and Polly the pig raped and beaten.

WARNING: Distressing content

UPDATE 1.45pm: SEVEN chickens brutalised and killed, left with broken bones and wings, some with heads cleanly severed, while a pig was beaten and raped with an object: This is the horrifying reality of what occurred at a Northern Rivers permaculture college early Wednesday morning.

The Nimbin community has been left reeling following the horrific incident at Djanbung Gardens - with the police feeling as disturbed as everyone else.

Six people, including international guests that were visiting for the full moon, were sleeping just 50m away when then horrific attack took place, not hearing a sound of the brutal attack that was occurring.

Djanbung Gardens founder and owner, Robyn Francis, said it was puzzling how they didn't hear any of the animals make any noise during the attack - however injuries on Polly the pig's snout showed them she had been made to keep quiet.

"Whoever's done this knows a bit about animals - she was definitely muzzled with something," Ms Francis said.
It was a heartbreaking thing to happen to their beloved Polly, Ms Francis said.

"She's so friendly and trusting of people."

Polly the pig is resting in her pen at Djanbung Gardens after a vicious attack early Wednesday morning.Cathy Adams

Polly joined the family at Djanbung when she was four months old, back in 2005.

The normally friendly, happy 11-year-old was hiding in her pig house all day yesterday after the incident, Ms Francis said.

Polly currently walks with tender movements on her back legs, has bad bruising and swelling at her rear, a chunk of hair ripped out of her right shoulder, and has been evidently beaten very badly on her rump.

The Djanbung team knew something was amiss when their Swedish volunteer WOOFERS came out to do the morning feed and found three dead chickens in Polly's pen, in a position suggesting they'd been thrown at her, Ms Francis said.

"That was when I knew it couldn't have been dogs," she said.

Seven heritage chickens were killed in the attack, halving their numbers to leave just eight birds - a huge blow for a community of their values.

"Part of what we promote here is preserving these breeds, and promoting awareness," she said.

"It's important to us to have animals in a beautiful and humane environment where they also contribute to the environment."

Ms Francis said she didn't believe that the perpetrator could be someone from Nimbin, however they were hoping the community could help them catch the "disturbed" individual or individuals behind the attack.

"We're really urging anybody who knows anything or has seen anything to come forward and let us know or let the Nimbin police know," she said.

"This is a violation, not only of our sanctuary here at Djanbung Gardens, but it's a violation of the community."

"The whole community is in shock."

Djanbung Gardens are now acquiring security cameras, with the help of community members.

"We're confident that somebody's going to come forward with something that's going to help," she said.

If you have any information about this incident please phone the Nimbin Police on 6689 1244.

UPDATE 12.15pm: AN ANIMAL rights organisation is offering a reward of up to $5000 to find those responsible for raping a pig and killing six chickens in a "sickening attack" on a Northern Rivers permaculture college farm.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia said the reward was being offered for information leading to the identification and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this horrific crime.

Campaign coordinator Claire Fryer said that, "because animals cannot report abuse and can do little to fight back, they're often used as 'practice' victims by those who tend towards violence".

"Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often go on to commit violent acts against their fellow humans," she said.

"As long as the perpetrator of this crime is at large, other animals - including humans - might also be in danger.

"Animal abusers are cowards.

"We're appealing to anyone with information on the person or persons responsible for this cruel act to come forward so that the perpetrators can be put where they belong: in jail."

Cruelty to animals in New South Wales carries a penalty of up to $22,000 or five years' imprisonment under the Crimes Act 1990 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979. Anyone with information about this case should call the RSPCA on 1300 278 3589.

For more information about cruelty to animals, please visit PETA.org.au.

Polly the pig has been left with injuries on her face and rump, while a number of other animals were murdered overnight. Photo: Robyn Francis

UPDATE THURSDAY 10.15am: THE community is reeling following the revelations of a horrible attack at a local permaculture college.

The Nimbin community has been shocked by the news that a number of chickens were slaughtered and a pig raped with an object at Djanbung Gardens between 4am-6am on Wednesday morning.

It has shocked the community so much that a $1000 reward has been posted by a member of the public for anyone able to provide information leading to a conviction.

Senior Constable David Henderson from Richmond Local Area command has said that "Nimbin police are taking this matter quite seriously".

"(We) are appealing for community assistance to find the offender or offenders," snr const Henderson said.

If you can assist, please contact Nimbin police or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

UPDATE 7.15pm: HORRIFYING new details have emerged following a massacre of animals at a Northern Rivers permaculture college.

Owner of Djanbung Gardens at Nimbin posted on Nimbin Hook Ups this afternoon:

"Oh no, it's getting worse -- an hour ago we found another chicken with her beak split, cut, mangled and protruding sideways and had to put the poor little thing down.

"Then checked Polly the pig, she's been lying in her house all morning.

"She came out and we saw she's bleeding quite heavily from the vulva - hard not to think the worst.

"Polly is really distressed and in pain.

"I went to comfort her but she pulled back into her house, grunting and agitated in way I've never seen her behave before. I'm crying for her."

A while later Ms Francis posted:

"The vet has just been. He says she was definitely impregnated by something, her vulva is very swollen and bleeding and she has a lot of bruising, especially on her flanks, she's been beaten badly.

"We wonder if the damage and bruising around her face is from having her mouth forcibly kept closed so she couldn't squeal out.

"She must have been muzzled while they worked on her rear end, which probably explains the injuries and bruising on her face and snout."

Ms Francis also revealed there has been a $1000 reward posted by a member of the public for anyone able to provide information leading to a conviction.

UPDATE 11.15am: A DISTURBING overnight masscare of farm animals has left the team at the Djanbung Gardens permaculture college devastated, says owner Robyn Francis

The losses of their beloved animals include a group of chickens, which Djanbung got earlier this year as day-old chickens, raising the "beautiful birds" to the laying age they were when their necks were rung and heads severed in the early hours of this morning.

For these animals that they had formed such a bond with during their lives, the team were heartbroken that they were killed in a "really nasty way", Ms Francis said.

"I just can't understand how anybody could do anything like that," she said.

"It's extremely disturbing.

"It's tragic all round, but what really gets me is that people can do something like that."

"I don't know what they were thinking.

"Whoever it is, they've got problems and they really need help."

Adding insult to injury was the way dead chickens were then thrown at, and into the house of, their pig Polly, who survived the attack, left with injuries to her snout and behind.

"Shes so trusting of people - kids love to pet her.

"She's very subdued (now).

"She's a very sweet animal, to see this happen to her is heartbreaking."

While in the 22 years since Djanbung opened in 1994 they've lost animals to snakes or dogs, they've never had any incident like this, Ms Francis said.

Police attended the scene this morning and were "quite disturbed about it" she said.

"Unfortunately unless we can find the sickles we have no capacity to get fingerprints," Ms Francis added.

She called for the public to keep an eye out for the sickles, which are "quite unusual" and distinctive - the blades, 25-30cm long, are welded onto a 20cm length of galvanised pipe.

"They're not a tool that you find in Bunnings," she said.

If anybody has information about the incident, please contact police or Djanbung Gardens.

WEDNESDAY 10.49am: A NUMBER of animals have been slaughtered in a disturbing overnight incident at a local permaculture college.

Robyn Francis from Djanbung Gardens at Nimbin posted this devastating message in the Nimbin Hooks Up Facebook group this morning.

"We're in deep shock at Djanbung," she said.

"This morning we found 6 chickens dead, 2 in the chook house with severed heads, one in a bamboo clump and 3 in the pig house.

"First thought perhaps a dog or fox, but impossible for an animal to get the chickens out of the chook house into those other locations with the doors and gates closed.

"Polly our pig has injuries on her face and rump.

"The latch on the chook house door is damaged and we have 3 Balinese sickles missing (that are stored in a box on the roof of the pig house).

"Some of the chicken carcasses were still warm, some were cold with rigour mortus.

"2 had their head cleanly severed with a blade, the others had their necks wrung.

"It happened between 4am and 6am this morning.

"We discovered the massacre at 7.30am.

"The sickles are missing so please let us know if you come across or hear anything.

"We called the police and they've checked it out and will file a report.